Kokoda Trail
The day is dawning, all the hard work and training is about to be tested, as we have to carry 20 kg backpacks, you have to keep yourself in good shape medically, as once you start the trek it is hard to get a medical evac out. Even cuts and blisters can make it a lot harder, without the idea of breaking any bones. I have been looking forward to this for so long, and after having worked with Tidewater skippering their rig tenders for two years in the Gulf of PNG, it was time to do the trek. Yahoo!
DAY 1 – Monday 25th November
Flew to Port Moresby, stayed overnight at the Islander Travelodge.
Met our trek guides, Alex Rama, Francis and Stephen. Alex has walked the trail around 300 times and is from the village Naduli. Francis has completed the trail around 200 times and also comes from Naduli, Stephen has finished the trail three times and is from Sogers. They were all guides on the Celebrity Walk.
Kokoda Airfield is closed as it has been fogged in so this means that we will be doing the Kokoda Trail from South to North, which is the harder way of walking it due to the first hard two days. We have six of us in the group, never met before and after getting together around the bar at the hotel, we were briefed about what to expect, had our last decent meal and drinks. The other guys came from different parts of Australia, one was a national kayaking champion and the others were also extremely fit.
Day 2 – Tuesday
We are taken by mini bus to the Salvation Army Camp then into a four-wheel drive to Owers Corner. We hop straight into the trek. It is very humid and I am excited. Although carrying a 20kg backpack, slipping a few times due to the very steep downhill first section and wobbly knees I am wondering if I should have trained harder!
The six in my group are all very fit, Ray is 44, the eldest of the bunch and is a national kayaker, the youngest is only 25.
We trekked for six and a half hours to make it into Ua-Ule Creek. We waded through Goldie River holding our backpacks on our heads. This is followed by a long climb up to Imita Ridge. (Imita Ridge is where the Australian Troops retreated to and held the Japanese from reaching Pom) Then a steep climb down to Ua-Ule Creek. We all have our third leg (a long piece of wood to help with foot placement and to get one foot in front of the other). It is raining, steep and quite a few times I found myself on my arse. I am really sore and have to make sure of better footing placement from now on.
Bush camp at the creek, we eat rice for dinner. We didn’t walk as a group as I thought we would, Alex leads the front, with two of the guys, I walk the middle, and the other guys along with the other two guides at the rear to make sure no one drops behind too far. We probably stretch over about a kilometre between front and rear. We stop every two to three hours for a catch up, and some dried fruit or nuts. It is so humid the sweat is dripping off us, and our clothes are soaked. We bring a second set of clothes to rotate each day, but after the second day we just had two sets of wet smelly clothes. We would rinse our clothes each night in a river to get the sweaty smell out, but they wouldn’t be dry in the morning so they would just go in a plastic bag, and off we would go.
We are told that one of the group has dropped out, as invariably we tend to string out along the trail with one guide at the front of the group and two at the rear. One guy couldnt handle the humidity and was taken back out to Salvation Army Camp. We are told that this happens a lot.
DAY 3 – Wednesday
Started walking at 0700 we have a long day ahead of us. All we seem to do is go up steep ridges and then back down, there are no flat sections to Ioribawwa Ridge (this is where the Japanese got to, we see some old war relics on a bamboo table) Views are magnificent – This is one of the few times we actually can take in the views, as most of the day it is just heads down watching your feet placement. Down to Ofi Creek then up to Maguli Ridge and down to Naoro Village meant 10 hours of solid trekking. Sweat pouring off which the mosquitos are loving. An absolute arse buster of a day … a lot harder than I expected. We made it into Naoro Village at 1830. The people here are very friendly and we had rice for dinner and crashed out.
0230 Mass – What a comotion – A group leaving early to trek to Pom. Have never heard anything like it before, all I needed at that time of the morning. Mosquitos are very bad. A rooster starts at 0430, so much for getting a good rest tonight, only the legs have been rested ready for another gruelling day.
Day 4 – Thursday
Left Naoro at 0630 for Efogi through Menari. Very steep climb and descents, again no flat sections. Through Menari and up to Brigade Hill for more magnificent views. We stopped here for a while to read the plaques, and to honour and remember the soldiers that ought for Australia here. It was eerie as we walked past the bunkers of the Australian (long elongated) and Japanese ( round), and to imagine that this was how it was all those years ago. Then a very steep 1 1/2 hour descent into Efogi. We stayed in the Village Guest House, a bamboo hut which was more comfortable than I thought. The villagers are just the best, they love the Australians and come to share their fruit with us, and sit around to talk, it’s amazing how they keep their villages so clean, actually sweeping the dirt surrounds. It’s like stepping back in time to a life so simple and easy.
Day 5 – Friday
Easy day, at last! Very steep ascent to Launamu (Japanese monument laid in 1990) Then very steep descent and again a steep ascent into Napuli. It was a 3.5 hour luxurious slog today! Sweat still pouring off as I walk, if thats what you can call it .. I am putting one foot in front of the other! We have an afternoon of resting with the beautiful views in the home village of Alex and Francis. We stayed in a village hut and ate well here, kau kau, passionfruit, banana, corn and noodles/rice.
Day 6 – Saturday
Left Naduli at 0800 for Myola. My pack seems lighter today, but I am sure that is just my imagination. Had mashed potato and noodles for breakfast. We had a good day of trekking and made it into Myola by 1300. Myola is now an abandoned village as they all moved to Maduli. Quite eerie.
Today has been a hot and humid day, late storms and thunder, and plenty of sweating.
Mark, an old villager from Naduli came up to Myola to cook bread for us. The ‘Guest House’ had the typical village hut layout and bamboo beds to sleep on. We ate potato, noodles, bread and choko vines for dinner around the fire.
The walk across the ‘grasslands’ was one hour of walking through black mud, some of it quite deep. Not looking forward to heading back in the morning.
Day 7 – Sunday
Left Myola 0730 for Templtons #2 which we reached at 1430. Not bad compared to earlier days, knees and feet standing up well. I fell through one of the wooden bridges that go across the many creeks. My backpack saved me, I would have to have been first on this one, probably been walked on for 20 years and decided to break through with rot today. We ended up crossing through the water.
Day 8 – Monday
Departed Templeton #2 for Ayola at 0730, passed through Eora (now abandoned) and took picture of monument. Very heavy fighting in this area. The rainforest is very thick and it started pouring with rain. Continued walking to Ayola further up valley. People are very friendly, met Donald a little kid who Angry Anderson took to Melbourne to have his feet straightened. This village is high up on side of mountain.
In the late afternoon the clouds drift in below us and then the village is all in cloud as it starts to rain.
Getting a bit sick of noodles and rice three times a day!
Day 9 – Tuesday
Left the village at 0720 for trek to Hoi Village through Isura. The 800 meter descent is pretty hard on the knees and feet. My clothes stink, and have done every day. We had mashed potato for breakfast. We are all looking forward to finishing now, today is a pretty hard day, we arrive in Hoi at 1330. Our last lunch in Hoi is noodles and yes, dinner was rice, noodles, banana and paw paw. Only a 2 hour trek to Kokoda tomorrow, cant wait. We have all agreed that this has been bloody hard yet satisfying especially now that it is nearly over.
Would I do it again – NO.
What have I taken out of this journey? Above everything else, the utmost respect for the soldiers who fought for us, some very young, and gave their lives so that we could enjoy the life we have today. After walking this track, it is something I will never forget. As well as the physical side of it, and carrying 20 kg, it was probably more mentally challenging. If you are thinking of doing this, I can only suggest to make sure you are more than fully prepared, both mentally and physically, be prepared to sweat all day long, but at the end I can say that your life will be changed by this experience.
